25 October 2015 – Bronte Way – 7.5 miles / 1152 ft

I decided to do this race a while back as having been out injured for the best part of four months its quite a low key race to make a return to racing, as well as being more of a trail race with a couple of decent ascents thrown in for good measure as oppose to an all-out fell race.

The race itself is quite unusual nowadays in being a point to point race which makes it a bit more interesting. It begins on the wrong side of the hills in Wycoller but makes up for that by finishing in Yorkshire, half way up the cobbled Main Street in Howarth.

Driving over to Pudsey to pick up Mr Walker (also making a return to racing after a few months away), the sun was shining and it looked as if we’d be in for a nice October days racing.

After having to pull out of the Yorkshireman half, the Ian Hodgson, and the FRA relays, it was now the Bronte Way where I would toe the line for the very first time as… …a Vet 40.

Arriving in Haworth, almost 2 hours before the start, we await our transportation to the other side (included in your £8 entry if you enter early enough) over in Wycoller. Once we arrive in Wycoller it soon becomes apparent that you can see all there is to see within about 2 minutes and the next hour is passed by either warming up or queing for the toilet, and in true P&B fashion I think the latter is allocated more time. With about five minute to go before the start another P&B vest is spotted, but both Colin and myself have no idea who’s wearing it. A quick glance at the results confirms its Matthew Hobbs.

And so it begins, my first race in four months. The start is flat and quite fast and from the off Colin and Matthew are up near the front with me in my usual position of around 20-25th. Once up the first climb the decent path gives way to open moorland and it soon becomes apparent that I’m not race fit. Following a decent start I spend the next couple of miles appearing to go backwards as people begin to pass me with alarming regularity. Not having done many miles over the summer I really start to suffer on the long drag from the Bronte Bridge up to the top of Pennistone Hill and now wish I’d have entered as unattached rather than bring any more shame on the P&B vest.

Anyway I stagger over the finish line in 58th place, and turning down the free pint of ale given to all finishers, quickly slope off home, disappointed and vowing to search high and low for the fitness I seem to have misplaced over the summer.

S.

Matthew Hobbs 4th 54:45.  Colin Walker 8th 56:15.  Scott Alder 58th 1:07:31.  (Full Results)

Photos c/o Woodentops.org.uk